Customer Rating: 
Summary: Bright color photos accompany dishes which are fancy yet easy to make
Comment: It's not often you find a cookbook which contains not only menus and recipes, but wine tips, but Our Latin Table: Celebrations, Recipes And Memories is designed to bring the full flavor of Latin foods to readers - and that includes wine. From Picadillo Chile Rellenos to a shredded meat pastry Ropa Viega Empanadas, bright color photos accompany dishes which are fancy yet easy to make.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Delicious, Easy to Prepare Recipes
Comment: I had just received _Our Latin Table_ by Fernando Saralegui in the mail, when I was recruited to cook a dinner for my Grandmother's birthday. We started with Caldo Gallego (pg. 14) and as a main course, served Grilled Marinated Pork Chops with Mojo (pg. 93). Both were delicious. The recipes were very easy to follow, and the ingredients not at all hard to find.
After making the meal, I took a thorough look at the cookbook and found many more things to enjoy, besides the good recipes. The photography is beautiful, and the old family photos are charming and give the book a warm feel. They are also appropriate, as these recipes seem perfect for family gatherings.
The recipes are easy to follow and, as I discovered making the two above, turn out well, if not exactly how they looked in the picture. Many of then are easy to prepare in advance. Salad dressings, soups, marinades for meats, and sauces may be prepared the day before - perfect when cooking for a crowd.
The book is also divided into menus for events - "New Year's Eve", "Engagement Party Buffet", "Monday Night Football Party." This is helpful.
All in all, this cookbook is easy to use, has lots of great recipes, and is a worthy addition to any cookbook collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Viva Saralegui!~
Comment: This is a visually beautiful book which contains recipes that are pleasing both to the eye and the palate. The instructions are clear and easy to follow; the ingredients are easily obtainable (not obscure items that would preclude the recipes from being practical for the at-home cook). The recipes themselves are works of art. The results of my efforts so far have been delicious and extremely well-received by all who consumed them! The spinach and queso blanco empanadas are melt-in-your-mouth jewels, and the Saralegui black bean guacamole is a true confetti among guacamoles, with every colorful ingredient adding a new layer to combine for a taste EXPLOSION! The Christmas cookie recipe has replaced my old standby sugar cookie recipe, since it makes a dough that is easier to use and produces a cookie that is a bit softer yet stands up to time and extreme decoration (even by 7-year-old boys). You won't be disappointed in this lovely book - it is a good cook's book and a wonderful family travelogue. Thank you, Saralegui family, for this contribution.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A Superior Resource for Cuban Family Meals and Spirits
Comment: This is a book of Spanish influenced recipes, gathered into celebratory menus including alcoholic drinks which were the centerpiece to a large extended Cuban family transplanted to the U.S. and enriched by pan Caribbian food influences and close association with the American foodie family.The introduction and the blurbs on the back of the book read like a Who's Who of the Food Network and other American food icons. We are treated to references to Mario Batali, Bobby Flay, Alice Waters,Norm Van Aken, Joe Bastianich, Alex Garcia, and Aaron Sanchez. Food influences from Mexico, Texas, Argentina, and Peru join the basicly Spanish / Cuban cuisine.
Almost all of the recipes are fairly simple and fairly familiar to anyone who has grown up with a Latin cuisine. One central theme in the batterie of recipes is that Cuban cuisine is not as spicy as Mexican cuisine and that rums of various ages are an important ingredient in many dishes, not to mention the very large number of mixed drink recipes presented in the book.
In a country where Latin cuisine ingredients now rival the availability of Italian specialities, there should be no problem in acquiring the ingredients for these recipes.
I dislike echoing blurbs on the dust jackets of books since, no matter how sincere they may be, the author is being paid for the complimentary opinion. However, I must say that Bobby Flay's quote really does hit the mark. That is `"Our Latin Table" is a delicious blend of savory dishes, festive menus, and strong family traditions with a Latin beat'. I will also echo the loquacious Mario in giving very favorable opinion of the photographs which the editors or authors have very kindly provided with meaningful captions, even if the contents are nothing more notable than two or more family members enjoying one another's company. The very last photo of a warmly lit large house after sunset convey's the spirit of the book as well as it's many celebrations of family life.
I have one serious criticism and a few annoyances. The serious issue is the fact that the glossary would have benefited from some serious editing. The `aprepas` definition, the first to appear: `Corn cakes made with corn meal' should have been more informative. Another is the definition of pancetta identified as `Italian Fresh Bacon'. It would have been much more useful to describe it as `Italian Unsmoked Pork Belly, for which bacon can be substituted'. There are others, none of which are terrible, but enough shade one's opinion of the book as a serious culinary work. The only annoyance worth airing may be the fact that in a very eclectic collection of Latin music, there is no mention of tangos by the Argentinean, Astor Piazzola or the bossa nova songs by Brazilian Antonio Carlos Jobin. Sigh.
I heartily recommend this book to people who cook for Latino families, no matter how large or small. The book has a somewhat lesser utility as a source for people looking for a specific Latin recipe. For them, works by Diana Kennedy, Rick Bayless, or others may be a better choice.
Customer Rating:
Summary: As a Cuban I give it five stars +
Comment: Fernando has writen a great book on Cuban cuisine. Now that Cuban food is being discovered by mainstream America, I recommend the book to all. Finally, our secret is out. Viva Cuba Libre, and Ropa Vieja too!
